


Siege of Stygga Castle

by TreeOfLife1997



Series: Geraskier Week ft. Witcher!Jaskier [3]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Background Character Death, Battle, Canon-Typical Violence, Cat School (The Witcher), Cat Witchers, Death, First Kiss, Injury, Injury Recovery, Kaer Morhen, Light Angst, M/M, Red String of Fate, Stygga castle, Witcher Jaskier | Dandelion, siege
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-19 04:09:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22904929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TreeOfLife1997/pseuds/TreeOfLife1997
Summary: Geralt and Jaskier have parted for the winter, to return their respective schools. However, trouble is brewing and an army is amassing ready to storm Stygga Castle.Geraskier Week: Day Three (protection)
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Jaskier | Dandelion & Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg
Series: Geraskier Week ft. Witcher!Jaskier [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1641160
Comments: 27
Kudos: 324





	Siege of Stygga Castle

It had been four years since Geralt and Jaskier had faced the Spriggan and they had continued to travel side by side, both forgoing returning to their schools and instead choosing to spend the winter together, not that Jaskier returned to his school often. It was still active and turning out a few new cat witchers every few years, in fact, it was the only school left actively creating new witchers. To be fair the winter after facing the Spriggan Geralt had planned to return to his schools, but fate had thrown a spanner in the works and Geralt had been unable to return to the wolf school for the winter due to the heavy snowfall. Unwilling to leave him to spend the winter alone, partly because it was his fault Geralt couldn't make it back to the Mountains in time and knowing Geralt wouldn't be comfortable settling in a large city as Jaskier did for the winter, Jaskier had stayed with Geralt travelling the path for the winter. The following year they'd picked up a contact deep to the south and by the time they'd completed it, it was too late for Geralt to head north in time to make it back to his school. After that, it had simply become a habit to stay together. It was high time Geralt returned to his school, as Jaskier knew he liked to check in with the other wolves who returned there.

So, they had agreed that this winter they would part and track each other down again in the spring. Which left Jaskier with a choice of how he wanted to spend his winter... Every since the Spriggan, the two witchers had agreed that whilst travelling on the path Jaskier would wear his armour. If they heard rumours a town had a contract, Jaskier would enter the town at Geralt's side in all his cat witcher glory. However, if a town wasn't rumoured to have a contract, Jaskier would change and accompany Geralt as his personal barker, the now somewhat famous Dandelion, bard and poet! His songs about the White Wolf were a success and Geralt hadn't had a single stone thrown at him since the two of them had started travelling together! Nor had anyone spat in his drink or food, so Jaskier was feeling pretty proud of his achievement at changing Geralt's image in such a short time. Which left him with a choice, did he spend the winter at a court as a bard, or in a city picking up contracts as a cat witcher? 

Sighing, Jaskier rested his head back against Geralt's shoulder from where he was sat cross-legged on the back of Roach, leaning with his back against Geralt's. The tree branches which swayed in the wind above the path were bare of leaves and the cloudy sky above threatened rain. They were currently travelling through Lyria, a kingdom almost halfway between their two schools, although it was a few days travel closer to the wolf school than it was the school of the cat. They were aiming to reach the next town before dusk, which was situated at a crossroads on the border with Temeria, from where the two of them would be travelling north into Temeria. Rumours had reached them of an unkillable monster, which was killing more and more people every month. Closing his eyes, Jaskier took a deep breath and listened to the forest around them. After the monster was defeated, they'd be parting ways and Jaskier would be spending the winter alone.

"Something that matter, cat?" Geralt grunted.

Jaskier smiled, "is that worry I detect, White Wolf?"

"Hmm."

"Just thinking about the winter," Jaskier answered. "I don't know what the wolf school is like, but the cat school is... Something. I'm half tempted to return there for the winter, the God's know I haven't set foot there in who knows how many years."

The two fell into a mostly comfortable silence as Roach trotted along the road. Jaskier was tempted to get out the lute and write a new song to pass the time but didn't for fear of the weather damaging it. He also considered getting Geralt to stop so he could change into his bard attire, the town they were planning to spend the night wasn't rumoured to have a contract... He'd certainly be able to get them enough coin for a room, food and a bath, not they needed extra coin. His performances had earnt them enough coin to last the winter and well into the spring. Funnily enough, Geralt still disapproved. People could turn on a witcher in the blink of an eye, a handful of songs could only do so much, so Geralt wore a permanent frowny face whenever Jaskier wasn't in his armour... Even though Jaskier had proven himself capable of escaping from and killing all kinds of monsters dressed in nothing but a shirt.

"Try not to get kidnapped this time," Geralt rumbled. "I might be inclined not to save you, cat."

That had been the event which had delayed Geralt that first winter and prevented him from returning to his school for the winter. 

"I'm not a child, Geralt, the word you're looking for is abducted," Jaskier snorted. "And it's not my fault some crazy mage wouldn't take no for an answer! Can you believe it, they wanted to hire me to kill the cat witcher who killed Stregobor, not realising I'm the said cat witcher. Hilarious, truly one for the history books."

Geralt let out a sigh.

"Like I'd kill a fellow cat, anyway," Jaskier continued. "We might not all be as morally stable as I, but I'd never kill one of my brothers or sisters... Well, maybe Treyse, Melitele knows the bastards got it coming. No, the mage would have been much better off contracting a Viper. The gods know they hate us enough and the only school with an arguably worse reputation than mine! We cats have a reputation for being crazy and morally unstable, but the vipers can be completely psychotic... I know more than a few cats have gone off the deep end over the decades, but that's nothing compared to the Vipers. There are a few good apples, though, I met a Viper just after I finished my training and took to the path for the first time, a charming fellow. Taught me a few tricks-"

Jaskier stopped talking so suddenly, Geralt tugged sharply on the reins bringing Roach to a sudden stop.

"Do you hear that?" Jaskier asked, turning and looking through the trees. "It sounds like someone calling for help."

Jumping down off Roach's back, Jaskier tilted his head as he listened. The calls were distant and coming from through the trees, but it held a desperation to it that could only mean monsters or bandits.

"The this road curves round to the west soon, does it not?" Jaskier questioned.

"Jaskier," Geralt's tone held a warning note.

"That's what I thought," Jaskier nodded before taking off running straight through the trees to the north-west and in the direction, the cries for help were coming from.

"Jaskier!"

Jaskier grinned and continued running, jumping over a fallen tree and across the late autumn landscape. In the distance, he could hear Roach's hooves hitting the ground, racing along the path at the heed of her master. Geralt was no doubt going to be furious when he caught up, he was ever time Jaskier used this course of action, but he was a cat and he was fast. He'd reach those in need of help far quickly than Roach and Geralt would taking the road. Not to mention he was a witcher and had survived on The Path for decades before meeting Geralt for the first time in Blaviken...

Maybe it was a wolf instinct, to protect, but that would require Jaskier to be a part of his pack. Geralt had a hard enough time as it was admitting they were friends most days, so it seemed unlikely Geralt viewed him as member of his pack... Not to mention he was a cat, not a wolf. Come to think of it, was it only a trait of the cat school, to use their animal nature? Jaskier referred to those who survived the trails with him as his littermates, he had two sisters in fact, and young cat witchers were always called kittens by older witchers. Huh, maybe it was just a cat thing.

Bursting through the trees, Jaskier drew his silver sword as he caught sight of the travellers trying desperately to fend off the Ghouls which had surrounded them. He cut through the one closest to him with ease, quickly drawing the attention of the others. They must have truly been starving, Jaskier noted, to be out during daylight hours even though it was overcast and to be going after the living. Twisting out of the way of a swipe, Jaskier brought his sword down, slicing the Ghoul's head clean off of its shoulders. He turned quickly, bring his sword up just in time to stop a ghoul which had lept at him. The sound of hoofbeats reached Jaskier's ears as he threw up his hand, casting Igni and driving back several Ghouls.

He heard Roach neigh and the sound of Geralt boots hitting the ground behind him, a safe distance from the Ghouls. The sound of a sword being drawn was the only warning Geralt gave as he dived into the fight alongside Jaskier. Dead Ghouls, felled by Jaskier's blade and flames, littered the ground but still more remained. There must have been a large nest nearby, a plague pit if Jaskier were to guess. Together, the two witchers moved through the battle with a synchronicity developed by the years they had spent hunting together. It wasn't long before all the Ghouls lay dead on the ground around them and Jaskier turned to the travellers they had just saved.

"Thank you, sir witchers," A woman thanked them from where she was tending to an injured woman, who had several claw marks across her calf and circle around the front of her shin from where a Ghoul most likely burst from the ground and grabbed her. "I am Tomira, a herbalist from Temeria."

"Isn't it dangerous to be on this side of the border?" Jaskier questioned. "Tension between Lyria and Temeria were high last time I crossed the border here."

"The plague saw an end to that," Tomira answered. "Neither could afford to be a war with the other, whilst this disease of death sweeps through."

"How close is the plague pit?" Jaskier asked, glancing around.

"Five miles north, Sir witcher."

Jaskier shared a look with Geralt. If these Ghouls had come from the plague pit, five miles was an awfully long way to travel so it proved the Ghouls were starved to such a point that they were desperate for food. The town by the crossroads was only seven miles away and offered up a feast in the eyes of starving Ghoul. Because without a doubt a plague pit was going to be home to more than one nest of Ghouls.

"We were planning to stay the night, anyway," Jaskier said with a shrug. "What's the harm in picking up a possible contract whilst we're there?"

~*~

Geralt glared at the back of Jaskier's head, who was walking a few feet ahead chatting away with Tomira, whilst he walked beside Roach. Sat in Roach's saddle and wrapped in a blanket from one of the saddlebags was the injured woman, Lena. The rest of the travelling party they had rescued seemed to be trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the two witchers, all the while remaining close enough to be protected should more Ghouls attack. Geralt grunted as he switched his gaze to them, one had been unlucky enough to look back and meet his gaze, almost tripping over as a result as the met the full force of his glare.

"Something's got you in an awfully bad mood, my dear White Wolf," Jaskier voice had Geralt gaze snapping back to the Cat Witcher in question.

"Fuck off, cat."

"This is about early, isn't it?" Jaskier clicked his tongue and Roach's ears flicked in his direction, as he walked backwards in front of the wolf witcher. "That explains the glaring."

"Hmm."

"If I hadn't taken the short cut through the dark, scary, monster-filled woods," Jaskier said dramatically. "We would never have arrived in time to save these poor people! Ghouls would be feasting on them, and I'd have to forever live with the knowledge I could have reached them in time, but the big, tough and grumpy and White Wolf wouldn't let me run off on my own."

"Fuck off, cat."

Jaskier grinned, "ooo, scary face! That has never been effective, so I don't see why you continue to use it. Didn't work the first time, hasn't worked any time between now and then, so... You know, might want to try a new tactic. Get a bit of variety in there, shake things up a bit."

Geralt growled which only made Jaskier's grin widen.

"Jaskier of Lettenhove!" A voice rung through the air and the smile slipped from Jaskier face as he spun on his heels.

"Gaetan," Jaskier hissed, hand reaching for one of his knives which had Geralt tensing automatically and eyes scanning their surrounding for threats as he halted Roach beside him.

Another cat witcher stepped out of the trees and smirked as those travelling ahead of where Jaskier and Geralt were, run from the cat witcher.

"So, the rumours are true, kitten," Gaetan turned his golden eyes to Jaskier, unconcerned by the fleeing travellers. "You've been travelling with a wolf."

"What do you want, Gaetan?" Jaskier snapped.

"So vicious," Gaetan smirk widened. "I was worried you'd gone soft."

"So, you're what? Just checking up on me?" Jaskier sneered. "Consider it done, now fuck off."

Gaetan laughed, sharp teeth catching the light, "I'm here to deliver a message, we've been summoned back to Stygga for the winter."

Jaskier frowned, "why?"

Gaetan shrugged one shoulder, "the message didn't say just to be there by the full moon."

"Consider the message delivered." 

"I expect to see you at Stygga by the full moon, kitten," He said crossing the path.

"And if I'm not?" Jaskier challenged.

Gaetan just smirked, slipping away into the trees to the south. Jaskier forced himself to let go of the handle of his knife and took a deep breath, beside him Geralt continued to watch the trees the other cat witcher had disappeared through. Ahead of them, Tomira was watching them with worry. Jaskier let out a bitter laugh and shook his head before he continued walking.

"He won't bother us," Jaskier called over his shoulder to Geralt who hadn't moved, still watching the trees. "He wouldn't have even approached if it wasn't for my presence."

"Hmm," was Geralt replied as he followed after Jaskier, leading Roach.

"They call you the Butcher of Blaviken," Jaskier began talking. "You asked why no one spoke of me killing Stegobor that day... Gaetan picked up a contract in Honorton, to kill a Leshen. The ealdorman agreed upon paying a set price, but when the job was done, he refused to pay more than a quarter of the agreed-upon price. Gaetan would accept nothing but full payment, so the ealdorman and a few men showed him to where the rest of the _payment_ was. They took him to a barn, claimed the rest of the coin was inside. He opened the barn door and a villager was on the other side and tried to run him through with a pitchfork. If he hadn't been a cat, he wouldn't have been quick enough to avoid a fatal wound."

Jaskier paused and took a deep breath.

"You know the rumours, everyone does, that the trails the cats undergo turn them crazy. When the formula was first changed, because as it turns out a completely emotionless witcher is just as dangerous as an overly emotional one, no empathy see, they balanced it wrong. Those who took it became crazed in battle and driven by bloodlust, it took them a few decades to balance it correctly, hence why so many cats are crazy. Gaetan is one of those cats. The ealdorman and those few men had tried to kill him, so he killed them but he didn't, couldn't stop there. He slaughtered the entire village, men, women, children, the sick and feeble. He left one survivor, a little girl, who reminded him of his sister. It wasn't in jest when I said nothing short of a massacre would get people to talk."

They continued walking in silence for a few moments.

"Gaetan isn't truly bad," Jaskier spoke up suddenly. "I know my rection implied otherwise, it's just impossible to tell if he's still riding on the high from battle. That and I can count the number of fellow cats I'd greet without reaching for a weapon on one hand. He could have been battling Ghouls, the same as us and have still been consumed by bloodlust. But I should warn you, White Wolf, if you ever cross paths with a cat by the name of Brehen, do not let your guard down for a second."

~*~

Jaskier yawned as he rested against a wall at the edge of the town, it was early twilight and he was keeping watch for Ghouls. As soon as he, Geralt and the party they had rescued had reached the town, the town ealdorman had pleaded with them to take care of any remaining Ghouls. As it turned out, the plague pit had been burned the week before as ordered by the local lord and every plague victim since had been burned, which explained why the Ghouls had been as hungry as they were. If nothing attacked within the next couple of hours, it'd be unlikely anything would, seeing as how the Ghouls had attacked on the main road during daylight. The Ghouls were being driven to break their usual habits by starvation, so if any remaining Ghouls didn't attack as soon as it got dark, it was unlikely any would considering how hungry they were.

Quiet footsteps reached Jaskier's ears and he tilted his head to one side and watched as Geralt approached, holding two bowls in hands, one of which he held out to the cat witcher. Taking it, Jaskier peered at the stew held within and stirred the spoon. He was surprised by the quality of it as heat seeped through his fingers from the bowl, not that he'd been expecting something terrible but it was surprisingly good for a town of its size. It was the quality of food Jaskier would expect from a city, not that he was a food expert, he just frequented cities a lot for contracts.

"Thanks," Jaskier nodded as he raised a spoonful to his lips.

Geralt unsurprisingly grunted in response.

"Oh, come on," Jaskier complained. "You can't still be mad!"

Golden eyes flickered to meet Jaskier's before Geralt returned his attention to his food.

Jaskier rolled his eyes, "honestly, Geralt, anyone would think I'd declared-"

Jaskier cut himself off as a twig snapped in the distance. Turning his bright blue gaze towards the trees, he peered into the darkness between the trees and listened closely to the night around them as dusk settled across the land.

"A deer," Jaskier declared after a moment. "With winter almost here, it's no doubt as hungry as the Ghouls."

"Hmm."

"I wonder who will be a Stygga this year?" Jaskier wondered out loud to himself. "Gaetan will be for sure, almost makes me tempted to stick to the path for the winter, whatever punishment for ignoring the summons be damned... Although it'll certainly promise an exciting winter, it's always fun when the crazies mix."

"What is the winter like at Stygga?" Geralt's curiosity finally got the better of him.

"Deadly," Jaskier answered. "It keeps you in your toes, that's for sure!"

An expression crossed Geralt's face which caused Jaskier to grin.

"It's a game," Jaskier clarified. "To try and catch your fellow Witchers unawares. For example sneaking into their rooms while they sleep to slit their throats, or ambushing them in hallways, or slipping poison into their drinks. It helps the witchers-in-training perfect their skills and keeps us full-fledged witcher's skills sharp. After all, only so much which can be taught on the training grounds. Very few witchers die, don't worry, it only turns deadly when the 'emotional' witchers clash with the pre-formula-change witchers, you know, the ones which were stripped of all emotions rather than simply having their emotions diluted like every other witcher... Actually, how much do you know about the cat school, Geralt?"

"Hmm," Geralt answered. "Enough."

"Yet you still travel with me?"

"You're hard to get rid of, like flies in the summer."

Jaskier let out an offended noise and Geralt's lips twitched.

"Hilarious," Jaskier glared setting aside his now-empty bowl. "Truly hilarious, Geralt. I'm awfully tempted not to meet up with you again in spring if all you're going to do is insult me."

"Hmm."

Jaskier pouted and Geralt rolled his eyes.

"Kidnapped was appropriate, you're acting like a child."

"How would you know, dear wolf?" Jaskier raised an eyebrow. "You avoid humanity like it were the plague itself! Always getting me to do the talking and interacting where ever possible. Sometimes I wonder if you simply keep me around to use as a buffer!"

"You do have some uses, after all, cat."

Jaskier let out an indignant noise and Geralt chuckled, which caused Jaskier to smile. To anyone watching the two, it would have appeared as if Geralt couldn't stand the cat witchers presence, but they both knew Geralt said such things in jest or a way to rile Jaskier up or get a reaction out of him, usually when the cat witcher was refusing to talk to him. Which was, in fact, a tactic Jaskier had resorted to in order to get Geralt to bathe, for all Geralt's insistence Jaskier's mindless chatter annoyed him, he was awfully quick to wash the grime off himself at the first available source of water. However, it could be argued Jaskier was incapable of being quiet, so he often kept talking, just not to Geralt, but to Roach instead and the two of them would converse at Geralt's expense.

"Ghouls," Jaskier suddenly said, his gaze snapping towards the trees.

Geralt turned his gaze towards the trees and drew his silver sword. 

"There's about seven of them," Jaskier tilted his head, listening carefully. "Shouldn't be too hard to deal with."

"Hmm." 

~*~

Geralt watched Jaskier who was sat across the table from him as he ate. The two of them were sat in a secluded corner of the tavern they'd spent the night in after dealing with the Ghouls. As Jaskier had predicted they had no trouble dealing with the creatures and had been able to return to the tavern with enough time to get a decent amount of sleep, after discerning there wouldn't be any more Ghouls attacking that night. Jaskier glanced up at him for a moment, before turning his attention back to his food. The cat witcher had already eaten three bowls of porridge and was almost done with his fourth.

"I don't plan on stopping," Jaskier explained, as he paused to drink some water. "At least not until I've passed Sodden."

"Hmm."

"The route I'm taking will mostly be open land, with the odd farm, no towns or villages," Jaskier elaborated. "I doubt I need to tell you how unlikely it is to be offered shelter in lone households... Unless they have something they need to have killed. Once I get to the mountains, there are a few villages I can stop at and a town beyond the mountains where a friend of mine often spends the winter, haven't seen him for a few years though. Once I reach the other side of the mountains, it'll be fine, plenty of places to pick up supplies on my way south!"

"Sir Witchers!" A voice called out and the owner of the tavern hurried towards them.

Geralt watched as the tavern owner as he approached. He was twisting a well-used towel between his hands as he approached. Jaskier bearly glanced at the man, as he turned his attention back to finishing his food, but Geralt knew the cat witcher was definitely listening to see if the man posed a threat. Geralt just grunted as the man stopped before their table. The tavern owner audibly gulped before he took a deep breath and began talking.

"I have a friend who's in need of aid, sir witchers," The tavern owner, all but stuttered out. "A village north of the border has been tormented by a beast which has been stealing their livestock. They'll be able to pay you. Please, they fear with winter almost upon us, that'll it'll start taking people."

"Good news," Jaskier smiled, having finished his breakfast. "My dear friend here is heading north this very day, whilst I'll be heading south. I'm sure the mighty White Wolf will be able to handle this beast!"

"Thank you, sir witcher," The tavern own sighed with relief. "The songs they sing about you are indeed true."

Geralt levelled at glare at Jaskier, who beamed back at him, as the tavern owner hurried away returning to his work.

"Oh, don't be like that, Geralt," Jaskier teased. "My grand plan has worked, the entire continent sings your praise!"

"Let's go, cat," Geralt grunted getting to his feet and picking up his pack and weapons from where they rested next to him, before heading towards the door.

Jaskier gulped down the last of the water before following after Geralt, waving a quick goodbye to the tavern owner. Stepping outside, Jaskier quickly followed Geralt around to the stables, where the wolf witcher was already in the process of saddling Roach. It wasn't long before the two of them were leaving the town and heading towards the crossroads just past the town. They walked side by side, with Geralt leading Roach by her reins.

"I need a favour, my dear wolf," Jaskier said, as the crossroads came into sight.

"Hmm."

"My lute," Jaskier explained. "I can't take it to Stygga with me. You must promise me, Geralt as my muse, that you'll protect her with your life! If so much as a scratch befalls my precious lute, I would find myself drowned in grief."

Geralt couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at Jaskier's dramatics.

"I'm glad to see you're taking this so seriously, wolf," Jaskier sniffed. "I'd sacrifice my life for that lute, my most prized possession, my livelihood, my passion, my-"

"I'll look after it, cat," Geralt cut him off as they reached the crossroads.

"Thank you," Jaskier smiled and before Geralt could react, the cat witcher was hugging him.

Geralt returned the gesture slightly awkwardly with one arm and Jaskier grinned against his chest and the scent of Jaskier's happiness and another emotion Geralt couldn't identify caused his heart to skip a beat, causing the wolf witcher to frown at his own reaction. It wasn't like this was the first time Jaskier had touched him so causally, the cat witcher was surprisingly tactile and it was something Geralt had grown used to during their travels. Still, it wasn't until Jaskier had vanished down the path leading south and Geralt was left with only the cat witchers lute and pack, Jaskier had taken only his weapons in order to travel light like he used to before he started travelling with Geralt, that the wolf witchers heartbeat returned to its usual pace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry, this has taken so long to post, I wanted to get some of the other chapters written in order to shorten the gaps between updates. I was planning to keep this series as one-shots, but this story took on a mind of its own and would be far too long for a one-shot, I feel :/
> 
> If everything goes to plan the next chapter should be up tomorrow! Because I already have chapters three and four written, but not chapter two, go figure XD


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